Improvement in horse hay-forks



1. m. SUTTON & La F. PORTER.

Horse Hay Forks.

No.151519, PatentedJune2,1874.

Vii/7268833 Z35 i0}! 1 NIED TTJ'TATES ATEN'I OFFICE JOHN M. SUTTON ANDLA FAYETTE PORTER, OF OONNEAUTVILLE, PA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 151,519, dated June 2,1874; application filed April 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknowu that we, J. M. SUTTON and LA FAYETTE PORTER, ofOonneautville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Forks; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use it, referencebeing had to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The nature of our invention relates to an improvement in horse haytorks;and it consists in the arrangement and combination of parts, which willbe more fully described hereafter, whereby the operation of the parts issimplified, their construction cheapened, and their efficiency greatlyin'iproved.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

a represents the fork, provided with any number of suitably-curvedprongs, each one of which has a head, 1), formed upon its inner end, sothat it can be attached to the head 0 by means of bolts and nuts. Incase one of them should be broken or injured, as often occurs, it can bereadily removed and replaced or mended. The handle (I, bent as shown,and having a handle, 0, formed at its outer end, is secured to the heador crossbar c in the same manner. Projecting outward from the head 0 isan ear or lug, g, by means of which the fork is 'pivoted to the lowerend of the lifting bar h, the pii'otbeing placed on a level with thefork, so that when the load is dumped the movement of the fork will beshort and quick, so as to drop it at once. By means of the handle Z cthe fork can be held from twisting while the prongs are being forced inthe hay with the foot, and the fork can be freely used for gathering upthe scatterings of the hay, around and in the wagon, and for loadingmanure. The liftii'ig-bar It consists of two metal straps, having a ringor loop formed at its upper end, in which the pulley-rope is fastened,and which straps serve as a guide and stop to the movements of thehandle (Z. Pivoted between these two straps is a dog, i, having itslower end somewhat curved and bent at right angles, so that it will beardown upon the flat spiingj, fastened to the handle (I. On the top of thedog is formed a shoulder or projection, l, which, when the fork is drawndown to a horizontal. position, catches in a corresponding recess formedin the under side of the handle, and supports the load upon the fork..tly pulling down upon the trip-rope, which is fastened to the ring a onthe end of the dog, the upward pressure of the spring j, which holds thedog in position, is overcome, the fork released, and the wcightof theload at once causes the fork to drop. By placing the dog and springunder the handle they are out of the way, and the fork made much morecompact and easily managed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The combination of the forka, handle d, lifting-bar h, dog 1' Z, spring j, and ear g, the pivot ofthe fork being placed on a level with the prongs, substantially asspecified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 20th day of April, 1874.

JOHN MILLER SUTTON. L. F. PORTER. Vitnesses:

Ovnus CARMAN, H. TALOOTT.

